Can you believe that is already that time of year again? This summer has just flown by. For any graduating senior and their families this is an exciting time of year, it is time to book your senior trip. No matter what type of senior trip you want to go on, cruise, Disney, Cancun or just down to Panama City here are just a few tips for planning that once and a lifetime trip.

1. Plan Early
   1. In order to get a good price and a low deposit you need to book now. If you wait you may end up paying more for the same trip or worst case without a trip at all. Also booking now gives you time to pay on the balance so you don’t have to come up with a lot at one time.
   2. Have your chaperones
      1. This is always a tuff one because each destination is going to have different rules regarding chaperones. As a rule of thumb I recommend that all chaperones are over the age of 25. If you have your chaperones now, it will save a lot of last minute scrambling to find somebody.
      2. Start saving now
         1. Depending on which type of trip you choose, you will need $50-100 a day spending money. I recommend saving a little at a time and putting it on a prepaid credit card (or traveler checks) and that way you are protected if it is lost or stolen,. Check the terms and conditions on some prepaid card because they can charge high transactions fees. The best one I have found are the ones you purchase from the bank not from a store.

Have a budget

You need to have a range of how much you want to spend.  Be realistic, you probably won’t find a 5 star all-inclusive resort for 7 nights for only $1000.

Avoid peak season.

All destinations have a peak season, find out when that is. Holiday weeks are always busy. Try to avoid booking during that week, or be prepared to pay for it.

All –inclusive

All-inclusive hotels charge on average $125 per person per day for food and drinks. If your budget is tight reconsider; do you really want to pay $250 per day for food and drinks? Instead find a hotel with a free breakfast; then use your “money dance” to pay.

Be open and explore different options

Don’t limit your self to only one area. If you want something beachy try, west coast instead of the Caribbean. If you wanted to go skiing consider Canada. If you limit your destinations, you are limiting the amount of specials you may be able to find

Cheaper doesn’t mean better

You don’t want to get stuck in room with only bunk beds or an air schedule that leaves you wondering the airport for 2 days. Just because it is “cheaper” doesn’t make it the better deal

Use a professional

Don’t be afraid to use a travel agent. Most don’t charge a fee. There are honeymoon specialist and they have access to specials that you may not be able to find yourself. (Plus you let them do all the work, you just enjoy)

Book early

Avoid last minute planning. When booking early (especially during peak seasons) you have a better chance of getting a lower rate. If the land or sea portion of your package goes down in price you can usually negotiate your rate.

Be flexible

Are you able to adjust your dates? Sometimes by moving up or back one day you may be able to qualify for a special.

Buy insurance

Protect your investment, the unexpected can always happen. Purchase travel insurance to cover you in case of an emergency.

Always compare apples to apples

If you are booking online it is real easy to miss something. If you find something drastically different on one site than from elsewhere, call and talk to somebody make sure you aren’t missing something major like the air, airport transfers, or taxes.

Go with your gut

Only you know if you will be happy with your choice, so be willing to compromise, but remember this is your vacation and you want to enjoy it.

I am sure many of you have a travel agent and I am sure there are many of you who book all your travel yourself either online or direct with the vendor. For those of you who book direct I have a question for you? Why? Why spend your valuable time searching when that is what we are here for? Do you call a plumber or use an auto mechanic? Travel agents are professionals in their field and we are here for you and one great thing about travel agents that as a general rule we only charge for air only reservations. That’s right you don’t have to pay us, we are paid by the vendor. (There are a few exceptions to this rule and you would have to check with your travel agent to see if there would be any additional charges.)

There are all types of travel agencies and travel agents out there, and not every agent is a perfect fit for every client.  I encourage you to find an agent that likes to travel the same as you. Say a cruise specialist if you like cruising or an adventure specialist if you like adventure travel.  Your travel agent should be someone you trust, some one that takes time to get to know you. You need to be comfortable with your agent because sometimes they need to know a few personal things such as your travel budget and date of birth. This information is needed so that the agent can make sure they are booking the best possible vacation for you. You don’t want to stay at a Holiday Inn if you are used to staying at the Ritz and you don’t want to be booked on a high school “senior trip” when what you were looking for was a “senior trip” for people over the age of 65.

One of the biggest myths our there is that you can always find a better/cheaper deal online or directly thru the vendor. Well the truth is that most of the time we can meet or beat what you are finding online if we are comparing apples to apples, we just need to know what you found. Look carefully at the airline schedule when looking at something online, you don’t want to waste 2 days of your 5 day vacation sitting in an airport, or having to wake up at 2am or 3am in order to catch the 6am flight home. Your agent would be able to point those things out to you. Another thing to keep in mind is, if you book online who are you going to call when the hotel lost your reservations or your flight has just been cancelled? If you booked online you hope there is someone you can call if you book with a travel agent you know there is someone you can call.

Still not convinced? Here is another reason try using a travel agent. Booking your vacation should not become your second job. The internet is a wonderful tool for doing research on the type of vacation you want, but finding the “best deal” can very quickly become a lot of work. That is our job, let us do that work.  We get 10-15 faxes/emails a day about current specials, hotel sales, and last minute deals. Let us do the work for you and find the best vacation.

So if you don’t have a travel agent I encourage you to find one for your next vacation. Ask someone you know who they use, shop around and find one that you feel comfortable with. So for your next vacation consider a travel agent and consider it done.